China Flies Into Japanese Airspace For The First Time In History

Japan scrambled eight fighter jets on Thursday after a Chinese
state-owned plane breached its airspace for the first time, over
islands at the centre of a dispute between the countries.

It was the first incursion by a Chinese state aircraft into
Japanese airspace anywhere since Tokyo's military began
monitoring in 1958, the defence ministry said.

The move marks a ramping-up of what observers suggest is a
Chinese campaign to create a "new normal" -- where its forces
come and go as they please around islands Beijing calls the
Diaoyus, but Tokyo controls as the Senkakus.

It also comes as ceremonies mark the sensitive 75th anniversary
of the start of the Nanjing Massacre, when Japanese Imperial Army
troops embarked on an orgy of violence and killing in the
then-Chinese capital.

"It was a fixed-wing Y-12 aeroplane belonging to the Chinese
State Oceanic Administration. We confirmed that this aeroplane
flew in our country's airspace," he said.

"It is extremely regrettable. We will continue to resolutely deal
with any act violating our country's sovereignty, in accordance
with domestic laws and regulations," he said, adding a senior
Chinese diplomat had been summoned.

Japan mobilised eight F-15 jets and an E2C early-warning
aircraft, the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing a defence ministry
source. But the incident appeared to have passed off without any
direct confrontation.

In Beijing, China's foreign ministry said the flight had been
routine.

"China requires the Japanese side to stop illegal activities in
the waters and airspace of the Diaoyu islands," Hong said, adding
they were "China's inherent territory since ancient times".

The incident came as Japan's coastguard chief told reporters he
was digging in for a protracted dispute.

"As China has publicly said it will make this a permanent
situation, we are preparing to be better equipped for this long,
drawn-out contest," Takashi Kitamura, the commandant of Japan
Coast Guard, told a news conference.

"Because we have various other responsibilities other than
patrolling for border security, we are asking government to
consider building up our capacity," he said.

Chinese government ships have moved in and out of waters around
the islands for more than two months -- four vessels were there
for several hours on Thursday.

Such confrontations have become commonplace since Japan
nationalised the East China Sea islands in September, a move it
insisted amounted to nothing more than a change of ownership of
what was already Japanese territory.

But Beijing reacted with fury, with observers saying the riots
that erupted across China had at least tacit backing from the
Communist Party government.

Mitsuyuki Kagami, an expert in Chinese politics at Aichi
University said there would be no let-up from Beijing.

"China will keep sending official ships and probably aeroplanes
to undermine the status quo of Japan's control over the islands,"
he told AFP.

He said it would be more alarming if it began to send military
vessels or aircraft, but he believed Beijing had no interest in a
war with Tokyo.

"China hopes to draw Japan to the negotiating table," he said,
adding that the likely victory of the hawkish Shinzo Abe in
Japan's general election on Sunday might make any Japanese
compromise more difficult.